Hundreds of supporters gathered in the heat to watch former Cabinet minister Ann Widdecombe open a Middlesbrough babies' hospice.

And the former shadow home secretary revealed how she raised thousands of pounds towards Zoe's Place herself, on a sponsored weight-loss.

Young patients and volunteers from Zoe's Place, in High Street, Normanby, joined crowds of fundraisers for the official opening, with guests including Cleveland Police Chief Constable Sean Price and Middlesbrough Council chairman Cllr Javed Ismail.

Welcoming the Tory MP, hospice manager Mark Guidery paid tribute to the thousands of people across Teesside who had raised money for the charity.

He said: "When I look around today every single face has done something marvellous for this building and the children who will be coming here.

"When I came here I really thought this would be about rich millionaires and big business, but it isn't. It is about decent people doing fantastic things."

Miss Widdecombe cut the red ribbon on the main entrance, before being presented with flowers by Emily Chubb - one of the youngsters already visiting Zoe's Place.

After the opening, when scores of balloons were released into the air, Miss Widdecombe explained the importance of the hospice and respite centre for children aged under five.

She also explained how she had raised #2,400 for the hospice and her continuing support for the Life Movement behind the centre. "I knew about the first Zoe's Place in Liverpool and when they said they were trying to set one up in Middlesbrough I wanted to help.

"Looking after severely ill children is a mammoth task, so parents who come to Zoe's Place can use it knowing every last care will be given.

"Children's needs are very specific and to have an 18-year-old and a five-year-old together is not impossible, but nor is it ideal."

Guests were later invited on a tour of the former convent, before enjoying refreshments in the garden.

It has been a long struggle for Zoe's Place to get where it is today. A #10,000 Gazette/ Barclaycard Making a Difference Award set up the children's favourite sensory room. And Mr Guidery has said that was the turning point. Then, after missing out on a Lottery award, the Gazette reported Teesside's huge disappointment and a U-turn by the New Opportunites Fund swiftly followed, leading to a #600,000 windfall.

Speaking about the importance of yesterday's opening, Mr Guidery said: "This is almost like the last hurdle and now we can get on with what we do here at Zoe's.

"One of the main things now is to move toward opening seven days a week and in a short time we will be open 24 hours a day when the kids and their parents can stay overnight.

"Lots of people in Middlesbrough feel Zoe's is their charity and we always wanted people to have a sense of ownership of the hospice and they have taken pride in it."